Deal with a Demon
by DontHateMeCuzImBeautiful
Summary: UPDATED! AGAIN! Kagome's gained the powers of a hanyou for a year in order to defeat Naraku. Will this be enough time to defeat her mortal enemy? Better yet, will it be enough time for Inuyasha to realize his feelings towards her, and act on them?
1. Prolouge

**Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha...sigh**

**A/N: Hey all and welcome to yet another of my fics! This is like, the 5****th**

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**Prologue**

"There's a jewel shard nearby...I can feel it!"

"Well where the hell is it?!"

"Just keep going straight! Hurry it's getting away!"

"I'm going as fast as I can! How about you get down here and carry _me_?"

"Just shut up and keep going!"

As usual the day of Inuyasha the half demon, Kagome the priestess' reincarnation, Miroku the monk, Sango the demon slayer and little Shippo the fox demon began with the hunt of the little purple fragments of the fabled and extremely powerful Jewel of Four Souls, a jewel that in the hands of demons became a dangerous adversary.

At the crack of dawn on this particular morning Inuyasha, carrying the reincarnation of his first love and the impossibly cute fox demon Shippo on his back, was a red and white blur as he scurried first through the trees and then through the sky in search of the jewel fragments owner. Currently the group was chasing down said demon that appeared to have a jewel shard but, like all the others, wasn't going down without a fight and was definitely giving them a run for their money.

"Inuyasha! Look up ahead!" Miroku called from Kilala's back, arms wrapped tightly around Sango's abdomen as he pointed with one hand down below the canopy of trees. Inuyasha glanced up and below the trees and sure enough there was a large red something moving up ahead but its speed was tremendous for something so large.

"Inuyasha! That demon's got at least 3 shards!" Kagome yelled down to her transportation, a frown taking over her usually lovely face.

Said transportation cursed under his breath and growled, "Do you think you could hit him from here?" There was silence in which Kagome pulled out a bow and an arrow, fitting it into place and preparing to shoot.

"I don't know Inuyasha...I've hit further but this guy...he's moving...and fast..."

Rolling his eyes Inuyasha took a dip so that he was skimming the trees below the canopy and suddenly the demon was in full view. While from far away he looked like a moving red ball up close he was much more impressive. He had the physique of either Inuyasha or Sesshomaru and a finally chiseled face though it was hard to tell exactly what his features were with a red aura surrounding him.

"Is this close enough for you?" Inuyasha yelled up at her and Kagome, so intent on shooting, gave a low groan and whispered, "Go!" The arrow released and sprung from the bow but landed right in front of the demon who stopped dead and looked around for the source of who had just tried to kill him.

"Gotcha!"

Inuyasha darted through the trees and landed right in front of the alleged demon, dropping Kagome and Shippo as soon as his feet hit the ground. Sango and Miroku landed not far from them and together they gaped at the demon before them. It was hard to say what it was exactly. It looked as normal as any of them save for the fact that he was still glowing a red air that was slowly subsiding now that he had stopped moving and had hair the color violet with piercing gray eyes that gave him the stoic impression of a killer.

Finally Inuyasha broke the silence and yelled, "Who the hell are you and why do you have so many jewel shards?"

For a long moment the demon said nothing but finally whispered, "Move aside pathetic half breed. You have no business interrogating me."

Pulling Tetsusaiga from its sheath Inuyasha sneered and replied, "You sure you ain't Sesshomaru's long lost brother? You have that ass hole attitude about you that I know he'd love. Now who the hell are you?"

Grinning arrogantly the demon murmured, "Such impudence. My name is Kyo, ruler of these forests and granter of powers great and small...and I don't think wanting to become a full demon is what you really want...your body seems not to handle demon blood too well..."

Everyone looked taken aback at the accurate description and glanced at Inuyasha who looked impressed but more determined to slaughter Kyo than congratulate him on his mind reading.

"Well, seems you know a lot about me. Means I'm pretty wanted in the demon world huh?" Inuyasha asked smugly and Kyo chuckled lightly before whispering, "You shall be a pleasure to kill half demon..."

"Bring it on."

It happened in a flash. Inuyasha swung Tetsusaiga around to meet Kyo but out of nowhere Kyo pulled forth a gleaming sword of red metal just as long as the Tetsusaiga but sparked and flashed when it met the opposing sword. The two forced the swords against each other but broke apart moments later only to clash in the middle once more. Unsure of what to do the rest simply stood back and watched, the sounds of metal on metal clanging through the forest like ominous bells.

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha roared but Kyo merely jumped above it landing gracefully behind Inuyasha and whispering in his ear, "Better watch your aim..."

Twisting around wildly Inuyasha barely had time to react as Kyo brought his sword down on top of him. Landing on the ground in a half kneel Inuyasha fought to hold the Tetsusaiga up against the power of Kyo's rather powerful sword. Kagome, who'd been waiting for the opportunity to strike, released an arrow into the midst of fighting, hitting Kyo's sword and causing it to fly across the forest and land in the thick trunk of a tree.

Looking around curiously Kyo glared at her as he whispered, "You'd better teach your bitch some manners little puppy..."

"BITCH?! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A BITCH?" Kagome yelled, the word echoing through the canopy of trees and diverting Kyo's attention from Inuyasha once more.

"Whoa...don't think she's ever been called _that_ before by a demon...think you pissed her off..." Inuyasha jeered from his position on the ground.

Kyo, standing up straight and staring at them both as though they were mental crossed his arms and exclaimed, "Are you serious? This pathetic wench couldn't do a thing to hurt-!"

Another arrow came whizzing from Kagome's bow and if Kyo had not moved it would have hit him directly in the chest. However, he leaped out of reach just in time beside Inuyasha who chuckled and whispered, "Now you've done it..."

"_You_ shot that arrow at me earlier..." Kyo breathed but he didn't get a chance to say anything else since Kagome had begun ranting and seemed driven by an invisible force that continued spewing words out of her mouth.

"That's right and let's get one thing straight Mr. Kyo..." Kagome lowered her bow but still looked fierce as she stomped towards the two demons in the middle of the clearing. Stopping only when she was right in front of him she hissed at Kyo, "I am not his _wench_, I am not his _girl_, and I am definitely not his _bitch_! You better watch it buddy because these arrows don't miss often and the next word about me that comes out of your mouth better be my name or madam..."

Kyo, standing rim rod straight and looking as though he'd been told off by his mother merely gaped at her in absolute shock and she grinned as she exclaimed, "Glad we got that straightened out! You can go on fighting now." With that, she sashayed to where Kyo's sword was still lodged in the tree, pulled it out as though it were a toothpick and then handed it back to Kyo with a slightly un needed push. She headed back to the edge of the clearing, ignoring everyone's eyes on her as she sat down and began rummaging through her backpack for a bandage. When she glanced up and noticed that the fighting had still not continued she smiled graciously and exclaimed, "Really! I'm done now! You can go on with your fighting!"

Turning to Inuyasha Kyo exclaimed, "Is she always like that?"

Nodding seriously Inuyasha replied, "Sometimes it's even worst...she's got a spell on me." Looking thoughtful Kyo re-sheathed his sword signifying the battle was temporarily over. Inuyasha, feeling that he'd had enough for one day as well placed the Tetsusaiga down in the earth but continued to eye the other demon warily.

Turning to Kagome Kyo whispered, "Tell me w-I mean, priestess, have you ever considered becoming more powerful? Like, say, becoming a demon?"

"What?!"

The entire group raised their eyebrows in amusement but Inuyasha was the only one who actually started laughing, holding onto his sides as though they were fit to bursting. Kyo looked at him as though confused and asked, "What is it?"

Still clutching Tetsusaiga's hilt for support he explained breathlessly, "Kagome? A demon? She wouldn't last 5 minutes out there!"

Standing to her feet in defiance Kagome yelled, "Hey! That's not fair I slay demons everyday!"

"No, see what happens is you let one of your little arrows go, distract them and then _I_ kill the demons..."

"What is that supposed to mean? '_Distract_ them'? How about I've saved you more than once with one of my 'distractions' so don't go putting my arrows down!"

Kyo cleared his throat and the two turned their attention to him while still glaring at one another. "Kagome would indeed be a formidable opponent if she had the power of both a demon and those of a priestess. Even Sesshomaru might not be a match with both of you in battle."

Liking the sound of that Inuyasha snorted and exclaimed, "Yeah but where's she going to get these powers? They just going to fall from the sky?"

Chuckling lightly Kyo replied, "No, _I_ will give them to her."

The entire clearing went quiet and then Kagome whispered, "Are you serious?"

Before Kyo could respond Inuyasha jumped in, "No way. Kagome you're not strong enough to take being a demon. Becoming a full fledged demon is not something you go around messing with."

But Kyo, not to be deterred, merely muttered thoughtfully, "Then I'll just make her a half demon."

Inuyasha turned and glared at Kyo but Kagome leaped to her feet and mumbled, "Me? A half demon? I'll be just like you Inuyasha!"

Running to Inuyasha she exclaimed, "Don't you see? Inuyasha if I were half demon then all our enemies would be a cinch to defeat! We could get dozens of jewel shards a day and we could even defeat Naraku! You could train me and I could become as strong as you! Wouldn't that be fun?"

Looking up at the word Naraku Inuyasha took a long moment to answer. When he didn't Kagome whispered, "Alright, I'll do it."

"Alright but on one condition Kagome..."

Looking confused Kagome asked, "What's the condition?"

Kyo smiled and replied, "I can't make it permanent so I'll give you the power but it will only last a year."

Gasping she whispered, "Just a year?"

Nodding gravely Kyo explained, "However, if you defeat Naraku in your half demon state you will have the choice to stay that way as long as you like. But you have to defeat your foe before you can move on. Understand?"

Thinking over it a moment Kagome bit her lip nervously, glancing at Inuyasha who stood some ways away and whispered, "Can I think about it for a bit?"

Looking as though he'd like to say no Kyo took one look into Kagome's pathetic brown eyes and shrugged replying, "I don't see why not. But return here, to this very spot by dusk tomorrow."

Suddenly and with a flash he was gone leaving everyone speechless and looking between Inuyasha and Kagome. Inuyasha, looking quite irritated and somewhat hot and bothered placed Tetsusaiga back at his waist and turned to stalk off.

"Inuyasha wait a minute! Aren't we gonna talk about this?" Kagome called after him, turning so that she was facing his back.

"Nothing to talk about...you wanna become a mangy half demon you go right ahead!" He yelled back and Kagome's jaw dropped.

Running to catch up with him she skidded to a halt right in front of him arms out like a referee and yelled, "What is going on with you?"

Frowning, crossing his arms and putting his nose in the air Inuyasha murmured back, "Doesn't this bother you at all?"

"Huh?"

Slowly Kagome placed her arms back by her sides and replied, "Should it?"

Looking even more frustrated than before Inuyasha growled, "Never mind, it's nothing..." before pushing past her like she was a twig.

Staring after him Kagome was lost in thought, confused and angry at the same time. After he had taken off into the trees she turned back to the rest of the group only to find they were staring back at her with equal confusion on their faces. Quickly they tried to mask it and Sango cleared her throat and asked happily, "Should we set up camp here then?"

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"I just don't get it. Why is he acting like this over me wanting to be a half demon? I thought he'd be happy for a change."

Kagome poked at the boiling ramen over the fire and murmured her problem to Sango and Miroku. It had grown dark and Inuyasha was still posted in a nearby tree, near enough to be seen but definitely not talking to anyone. Kagome frowned at his moonlit scowling figure in the distance and turned back in time to catch Sango and Miroku's side long glances at each other. Frowning a little deeper at them she shook her head and continued, "How do _you_ guys feel about it?"

Looking quite surprised at her request Sango and Miroku exchanged another glance before Miroku cleared his throat and replied, "I think it's great what you're doing Kagome. For us to gain such an advantage over Naraku would put us ahead by miles and the element of surprise is key. But-,"

"But Kagome you have to think about how _Inuyasha_ is feeling right now." Sango interrupted and Kagome looked up at her in surprise.

"That's what I've been trying to figure out Sango. I don't know what's wrong with him..."

Sango sighed and shook her head, a sign that she wanted Kagome to guess it on her own but it was taking her too long. Kagome turned to Miroku for help and he explained gently, as though speaking to a child, "Kagome you have to understand, Inuyasha has been ridiculed his whole life for being what he is and here you are wanting to become one yourself. It's almost as though you're mocking everything he's had to endure throughout his life."

Kagome gazed at him as though she'd never seen him before. "Mocking him? But, why would I do that?" She whispered and Sango touched her arm gently giving her a reassuring smile.

"He knows you don't mean any harm Kagome but you should be more sensitive of his feelings. He only wants the best for you and he doesn't want you to have to suffer the way he has," She explained and Kagome tried to smile back but it faltered on her lips.

"I've got to talk to him. He's got to know that..."

Without another word she stood to her feet and walked slowly and cautiously to the rather tall redwood Inuyasha had perched himself in and stood just at the base.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered into the growing darkness and received no answer.

Rolling her eyes at this expected development she put her hands on her hips and exclaimed, "Inuyasha don't make me say _it_. There's a rock down here..."

No reply.

"S-!"

"What do you want?"

Sighing she tried to find the right words to explain, "I came to say that...that I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings when I said I wanted to be a half demon. I forgot how much you've had to go through as one. I just...I just want to be as strong as you; I want to understand you more. I just thought that maybe-!"

Without warning he dropped directly in front of her and she gasped at the way his eyes flashed at her in a mixture of sympathy and anger. He didn't say anything for a moment but instead whispered, "You think I'm hurt by your wanting to be a half demon?"

She stared at him blankly for a second and exclaimed, "Well yeah why else would you be hiding up in that tree all night away from me?"

He looked as though he were going to argue with her for a moment but then closed his mouth just as quickly before looking away. She sighed and turned to go whispering, "I just want to understand Inuyasha..."

He grabbed her hand at the last moment and she tried not to let her pounding heart get too loud. After a long minute he murmured, "I'm not mad at you Kagome or hurt or anything like that...really I wouldn't mind you being a half demon, seeing what it's like for me...I just...I don't want you getting hurt."

Slightly taken aback she turned to face him while still connected by the hand and told him quietly, "I told you Inuyasha that I can take care of myself. I've been fighting demons for nearly a year with you now-!"

"But sometimes it's not just demons that can hurt you."

Now she was thoroughly confused and it must have showed on her face because he continued, "All my life...I've been hated for my being only half a demon and it's made me protective, untrusting. Kagome, I don't want you to change...you once told me I was just fine the way I was and I-I'm staying that way, for you."

"Inuyasha..."

He embraced her tightly, a rare show of emotion that brought tears to Kagome's eyes.

"I don't want you to change for anyone but yourself Kagome, not me, not anyone. I want _you_ to be happy with _your_ decision."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him before whispering, "I promise that I am completely content with this. I _know_ what I'm doing Inuyasha...I'm doing this for all of us, for the world, so we can rid it of Naraku."

She pulled away from him still smiling and continued, "I'm doing this for everyone."

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The next morning Inuyasha kept constant guard over Kagome, refusing to leave her side except for when she went to the bathroom and then demanding Shippo stay close while there. Kagome didn't mind in the slightest his over protectiveness, though around lunchtime when he insisted she eat his share of ramen she put her foot down.

"Inuyasha stop it I'm not a child!" She had exclaimed out of frustration and, while she instantly regretted saying it, he didn't seem taken aback in the least, instead choosing to yell back at her with, "Well you could've fooled me!"

This of course earned him a nice Sit.

However, as the sun began to set Kagome found herself wanting his over protective nature back. Of course Sango and Miroku were continuing to offer their advice while assuring her that whatever decision she made they would be happy with while Shippo was overjoyed at the opportunity of her being a demon, even if she was only half. Kagome was sure of what she wanted but still hadn't quite come to grips with what Inuyasha had said about him being ridiculed all his life for being what he was.

It wasn't that she was afraid of what people would say about her (She'd had more than enough experience in middle school with that kind of thing) it was the fact that maybe she _would _change. Of course she wouldn't allow herself to change willingly, but what if it happened gradually without her even knowing it? Surely she could keep herself from doing it...?

She shook her head and spotted Inuyasha standing, of course, a mere few feet away from her with his back to her, sniffing the air as though Kyo was within reach. She made her way slowly up behind him and whispered, "Inuyasha...?"

He grunted to show he was listening but didn't stop his act of sniffing so she continued, "Do you think...do you _want_ me to do this?"

He looked back at her and murmured, "I told you it doesn't matter what I think you should be doing this for yourself."

"I know what you said but...your thoughts are more important to me right now than my own."

He turned the full 180 degrees to face her before he replied, "Kagome...I want you to be happy."

Kagome stood there, completely flabbergasted by his response but before she could open her mouth to say anything a heavy wind whipped up that didn't seem natural. Inuyasha shielded her with his haori though Kagome could hear the wind whipping and felt it tearing at her clothes. When it finally died down Inuyasha let her go but grasped her hand. She turned in time to see Kyo looking just as elegant and regal as the morning before though now he had an ominous feel to him though his demonic aura had not changed.

He looked straight at Kagome and whispered, "Have you made your decision?"

Kagome, uncertain, looked over at Sango, Miroku and Shippo huddled together who all smiled at her, nodding and egging her on. She looked up at Inuyasha who looked back down at her and gave a weak grin before nodding and letting her hand slip out of his grasp. Kagome walked until she was directly in front of Kyo before she turned to look back at Inuyasha and told him, "No matter what, I'll always be Kagome."

Ignoring all their confused glances and nervous exchanges of looks she turned back to Kyo, nodded once and, looking directly into his eyes, held out her hand and exclaimed, "I'll do it!"

Grinning he grasped her hand and squeezed. Immediately a red light sprang between their hands and it traveled slowly up Kagome's arm, across her neck, and down her abdomen until her entire body was engulfed in the red light.

The rest watched in fascination and horror as her jet black hair flew out behind her suddenly growing in length to past her waist, turning a platinum silver and her teeth elongated into what could only be described as fangs.

The hand that was free from Kyo's clutch went rigid while matching silver claws sprouted from them and tore the skin on Kyo's hand. Meanwhile Kagome's face had taken on the most remarkable change: she closed her russet brown eyes and opened amethyst purple ones while a matching purple star appeared in the center of her forehead, a mark of protection. Her body arched as she underwent the change, twisted and turned but no matter how badly she flailed Kyo wouldn't let go. She groaned as what looked like an electric shock hit her and then, Kyo let go where she slumped to the ground, a steaming heap.

"Kagome!"

"Kagome!"

"Is she alright?"

Everyone rushed to help her but as soon as Inuyasha got near Kyo yelled, "Don't touch her!"

Stopping just short of her arm Inuyasha turned and glared at him hissing, "What the hell are you talking about she's hurt damn it!"

Kyo, taking a protective step over her replied, "If you touch her now you'll ruin it. Her body is just absorbing the demon powers. If you touch her now on instinct she'll retaliate and kill you."

Suddenly Kagome groaned trying to sit up but failing miserably and falling back into a heap on the ground. "Kagome! Kagome are you alright?" Inuyasha yelled at her, taking reluctant heed to Kyo's words and restraining himself from picking her up.

Kyo moved out of the way when he was sure Inuyasha wouldn't try any such antics and kneeled down so that he was at Kagome's head and whispered, "Come on Kagome...get up..."

Giving a heaving groan that expressed the need to lie down Kagome gave a little whine before sitting up into a kneeling position, trembling with the effort. Finally, grasping her knee as though it would support her she gave a heave and stood to her feet, leaning against the tree trunk behind her and breathing hard. Slowly her head came up and there was a collective gasp from the group gathered around her.

"What's wrong guys? Do I look any different?" She whispered but no one spoke. Hell, no one could quite fathom what they were seeing.

"Kagome...you're-whoa..." Shippo blurted and the rest nodded in agreement.

She did indeed look a little different than normal. The purple eyes and newly grown, now board straight silver hair for one were extremely attractive but there was something about the purple star in the middle of her forehead and the way her body seemed to be losing weight by the minute that really caught everyone's eye.

She glanced down at herself and gasped as she looked at her hands, examining them as though she had never seen them before. Slowly her gaze ran the length of her body, down her newly musculerized legs and bared feet which now sported claw like platinum toenails. A gentle breeze flew past them, blowing a bit of her equally butt length platinum hair up around her and she grasped it with her hand, gaping at it and clutching at as though it was falling out in shock. Sango handed her a small mirror from Kagome's bag and Kagome looked as though she were going to pass out again.

"What the-I'm-Oh Kami what's my mom going to say?" She shrieked and Kyo nearly chuckled.

It seemed hilarious that her most upsetting problems lay with whether or not her mother would judge her differently being a half demon. His chuckle was cut short as Kagome let out a yell of surprise and when he turned to look at her he could see why. 2 fuzzy silver and purple tipped ears had poked up through her mass of hair and were twitching wildly, getting used to their surroundings. She grasped at them wildly and this time Kyo couldn't keep his amusement to himself.

He let out a throaty chuckle and murmured, "You'll get used to them Kagome...in fact they come in handy quite a bit."

She turned to stare at him as though just realizing he was there and exclaimed, "Why are you talking so loud? I'm right here you know there's no need to yell."

Everyone around her gasped. They had barely been able to hear Kyo at all and Kagome was complaining he was yelling. Kyo nodded approvingly and explained, "The magic worked, you have officially become a half demon. Congratulations, you now have a large responsibility on your hands."

He turned to Inuyasha and frowned a little as though he were going to lecture him before continuing, "Inuyasha, it's your job to make sure she's well trained and well kept after. Right now she's weak, no weaponry, no training, it's your job to continue protecting her."

He waited for Inuyasha's nod before turning back to Kagome and his gaze softened as he watched her continuing to examine herself.

"Kagome." He exclaimed and she looked up at him immediately.

"What is it?" She asked and he smiled.

"You're going to need a few things now that you're a hanyou. For one, new clothes..." His gaze traveled down her body at her torn shirt and skirt and she blushed.

"You're also going to need a weapon, preferably a sword but I'm sure Totosai will come up with a perfect weapon for you." He stopped and grinned at her like a father at his troubled child and murmured, "I'll see you in a year Kagome. I hope you learn enough to defeat me when the time comes."

Then, without another word, he turned on his heel and was gone, leaving Kagome to fend for herself.

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**A/N: So what did you guys think? Reviews are always greatly appreciated and I'm getting busier and busier so I can't guarantee how often I'll be able to update. Still, thanks for reading. I know there are a million other Inuyasha/Kagome stories that involve Kagome turning into a half demon and I'm grateful for you taking the time to read mine! Reviews make me update faster! Until next time, stay beautiful XD**


	2. Friend, Priestess, Half Demon?

**Disclaimer: Still don't own...**

**A/N: Thank you Wildmage89 for your never ending support and patience when it comes to my stupidity at posting things before they're edited. Sorry again! **

**Oh, and thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. I LOVE SUPPORT!**

**Oh, and special thanks to Ashi-Akuma-Taisho who helped whip me into writing this though I don't know if she meant too and if she did, good for her!

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Chapter 1: Friend, Priestess, Half Demon???

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When Kagome looked back on it from the future she realized that the first few days with her new transformation were the hardest to deal with by far. She couldn't remember when she actually got used to the changes. She had constantly complained of something, anything, her aching ears, her sorely new metabolized bod, her newfound, and not entirely pleasant, sense of smell. Though, in her defense, it was no easy feat getting used to being half a demon. 

The first night they stayed in the cover of the forest, allowing Kagome's strength to get up to it's fullest potential; she felt like the burden of the group, like she was an anchor weighing everyone down.

"Kagome you need to eat something."

"Kagome lay down you should be resting."

"Don't move Kagome Sango's cooking dinner so you just sit back and relax."

All night Kagome was pored over and made comfortable, though her head was aching and her body felt as though someone were stitching her back together with some kind of cheap thread so she could look like a used rag doll. She lay against a nearby tree and examined herself, checking out her differences and what had stayed the same.

Her hearing, she discovered, was the biggest change. Suddenly Miroku's whispering sounded like a shout from right beside her while a sudden rustling in the trees caused her to nearly jump out of her skin with surprise. Unfortunately though, as she later realized, her hearing was not the only thing that had changed after all.

Her sense of smell had increased ten fold and suddenly everyone had a specific scent. Shippo smelled of warm cotton and childhood, Sango of an odd mixture of raspberries and iron, and Miroku of plain warmth and wisdom. She turned her eyes to Inuyasha who was crouched next to the fire with a spoon stirring the ramen and tried to sniff him from where he was. It didn't work.

There were too many interfering smells in the way, the fire, the boiling ramen and Shippo running back and forth trying to catch nearby moths. She stopped trying since it gave her a headache and leaned back against the tree as though it was a life line and relaxed. She heaved a sigh and closed her eyes, letting the bark scrape against her back when she felt familiar warmth plop down beside her.

"How you feeling?" Inuyasha's comfortingly quiet voice beside her made her open her eyes and she smiled at him reassuringly though she felt far from reassured.

"I feel alright...just a little sore I guess..." She explained and Inuyasha nodded before handing her a steaming bowl full of ramen. She nearly gagged on the smell alone and he chuckled low in his throat.

"It smells so...strong."

She made a face and pushed the bowl away from her but Inuyasha pushed it back into her hands and exclaimed, "Lesson number one: don't let your nose take control. There's gonna be some pretty strong smells and not all of them are going to smell good. So take it like a half demon."

She made another face at the ramen but took the chopsticks Inuyasha offered her and inhaled it as quickly as she could, enjoying the taste while trying to ignore the suddenly putrid smell. When she was done she was breathing hard but Inuyasha smiled at her and took the bowl away, seemingly satisfied that she was done though he inspected every corner of the bowl to make sure it was all gone. He placed a hand on her back and patted it until she finished sputtering and she smiled at him gratefully.

"Inuyasha?" She whispered.

He looked back at her and asked, "What is it?"

She blushed a little and turned away before saying very quietly, "Thank you...for everything."

He opened his mouth for seemingly a smart retort but then seemed to catch himself. He blushed as well and stood to his feet explaining, "Anything for a fellow half demon."

The next morning the group decided to head out with Kagome insisting that she was ready to go and Inuyasha making his opinion known quite loudly.

"Kagome you're not well enough to be traveling yet-!"

"Inuyasha how many times do I have to tell you that I'm fine? I feel better than I've ever felt in fact!" Kagome countered, smiling as she stretched up onto her tip toes, curling like a cat in an attack position.

"In fact, I feel like I could run all the way back to Kaede's!" She exclaimed and, just to prove it, took off in the direction she thought was correct using her new sense of smell to direct her.

Unfortunately she didn't realize her own fierce pace and went howling off, laughing happily at the wind in her face and throat, unable to push off this newfound freedom that the world was her oyster and she was invincible. She caught sight of Inuyasha not far behind her and put on a spurt of speed that put her a few feet ahead of him all the while laughing and yelling, "You'll never catch me! You might as well give up!"

She caught a glimmer of Inuyasha's cocky grin as he growled playfully, "I know you're not talking to me?"

Kagome turned back around to face the front, still grinning happily as she soared, jumping from tree to tree. Then, another smug half demon face was in hers and Inuyasha looked for a moment as though he were going to faint as he glanced down at her legs. She gave him a confused look but he quickly snatched her out of the air, much to her dismay and she growled at him, "Inuyasha what are you-?"

But they were back on the ground before she knew it and she felt like crying at the loss of the independence, but stopped when she caught the look on Inuyasha's face. He was glaring over her head fiercely but was blushing even harder than he was glaring.

"Inuyasha?" She muttered curiously but he seemed compelled to continue looking away from her.

Finally he whispered, "Kagome, maybe you should stick to the ground for a while..."

She pulled away from him and crossed her arms asking, "How come?"

He glanced down at her legs again and tried explaining quietly, "Those are some nice underwear you've got on there..."

She looked down at her tattered skirt and blushed an awful shade of red as she clutched at her face in embarrassment.

"Oh...sorry I didn't..." She stuttered but Inuyasha took pity on her and turned around, offering her his back which she gratefully took hold of.

Using her now keen doggy ears she picked up on Miroku whispering to Sango, "That was the loveliest sight I've ever seen...besides you my dearest Sango! Wait Sango! I WAS MERELY-!"

Kagome didn't need her newly sensitive hearing to hear the resounding Smack that echoed across the forest and buried her smile in Inuyasha's shoulder blade murmuring, "Serves you right..."

It took less time to arrive at Kaede's village than originally intended, the group arriving by late afternoon, nearly dusk, though not to say it hadn't been a hardy adventure. Inuyasha had constantly been on the alert for a demon, seeing as Kagome was in such an...interesting state, but he needn't have worried.

The first that meandered across their path was a rather large bear demon, its one eye swiveling in every direction possible before training it squarely on Kagome. It made its way toward her, bounding like a large leaping antelope and the group immediately moved to take action. Suddenly Kagome put out her hands and a blinding white light surrounded the creature before it disappeared completely, ashes the only thing left behind. Sango and Miroku were completely flabbergasted by the sudden change in Kagome but Inuyasha merely berated her for leaving herself so open to attack.

"How the hell am I supposed to keep you alive for a year if you get yourself killed before we kill Naraku?" He had scolded but when Kagome turned away she swore she saw him glance at what had previously been a demon and smirk proudly in her direction.

Meanwhile Sango and Miroku continued to shoot annoying glances in her direction that she was sure they thought she couldn't see. When they finally approached her she was really getting agitated. Sango tapped her timidly on the shoulder and murmured, "Um...Kagome?"

Trying hard to place and keep a happy smile on her face Kagome turned to her friend, mockingly happy, exclaiming, "What is it Sango?"

Sango suddenly looked a bit better as she continued confidently, "Well, about that demon..."

When she trailed off again Kagome stopped walking and said as calmly as she could, "What about it?"

At this Sango fidgeted under her gaze and Miroku took over for her. "What Sango means to say is that what you exhibited was the most profound spiritual power either of us has ever seen. Your new powers are growing quickly and what we mean to say is that...we'd like you to start your training as soon as possible...if it's okay with Inuyasha."

Kagome blinked rapidly a few times before the two's meaning finally clicked in her head and it was with great care that she didn't burst out laughing on the spot. Instead she giggled and exclaimed, "Is that all?"

When both Sango and Miroku looked taken aback at her nonchalance she continued, "What do you think we plan on doing when we get back to the village? Play games until Naraku comes looking for us? Inuyasha wants to get started right away and I'm all for it too. The faster we can get my powers under control the faster we can move on."

"Ye gods child what have you done to yourself?" Kaede's shocked voice seemed to ring through the village and Kagome buried her small silver ears down into her hair, wincing at both the tone and the high pitch.

"Kaede, please try to keep it down. This new hearing thing is kind of hard to get used too..." Kagome complained gently and Inuyasha forced her down to the floor to have a seat. Kaede removed the hand from her chest and took a deep breath before having a seat as well, continuing to gape openly at Kagome's new look.

Her one good eye raked over Kagome's new amethyst purple ones, roved down the silver hair that spilled over the floorboards, strayed across the new silver claws before finally settling on the purple star in the center of her forehead standing out magnificently against her pale skin.

It was a while before she asked again, this time more softly for Kagome, "Kagome, what happened to you?"

Taking a deep breath Kagome explained everything that had happened from the 3 jewel shards to meeting Kyo to fighting the bear demon from earlier that afternoon. "...It was a bright light and then it-it was just gone. Sango and Miroku said it was a good dose of spiritual power that I dished out but I don't even remember how I did it. I just felt threatened and...that was it," Kagome finished and once again Kaede was silent, her brows furrowed in deep thought.

She finally looked up but her eye bore into Inuyasha's as she murmured, "When will ye two leave, Inuyasha?"

Kagome looked up in confusion but Inuyasha answered resolutely, "Tomorrow at dawn. Totosai's is first on the list, and then we'll go see Haruka."

"The demon seamstress? How long will you be gone?" Sango inquired quietly, but Inuyasha shrugged.

"Can't be too sure. Getting to Totosai'll probably take a day or two from here depending on how well Kagome travels but who knows how long it'll take to forge her sword-,"

Kaede's eye went wide as she exclaimed, "Sword? But you can't possibly be serious?"

Inuyasha's smirk twisted as he scoffed, "Feh, from what I've seen today there won't be any weapon strong enough to work with her demon blood and her spiritual powers. Besides, arrows are harder to aim than a piece of gleaming metal."

Kagome blushed at his unconscious compliments and when he caught her eye he blushed as well at her pleased smile. "Anyway, getting to Haruka could take a few days at least, but we shouldn't be too long there. She's usually good at quick work." He finished and the group settled back into silence, watching as Kaede stirred the soup that was laid out to boil.

The quiet didn't last long, however, before Miroku inquired, "So, how goes the village Kaede? We have been gone an awfully long time..."

Immediately the small bit of tension that had entered the room slipped away and the others were immersed in the new births, the new deaths, and the weather which had, gratefully, taken a turn for the better. While everyone continued talking Shippo crawled up into Kagome's lap and snuggled there comfortably, looking up at her with wide green eyes. Kagome smiled at him and murmured, "What is it Ship-Dip?" He smiled back at her, blushing before he explained quietly, "You know I've been thinking Kagome and I...I like you as one of us. As a demon I mean. Even if you're only half of one, at least Inuyasha has someone he can relate too now."

Taken aback at the kitsune's remark Kagome tweaked his nose before telling him, "You know what? I think you're right." Shippo's grin widened as Kagome hugged him tightly against her, tickling his furry stomach until he had tears running down into his fur. She only let up when dinner was served and she discovered that she was hungrier than she had thought. Shoveling the food in her mouth as fast as she could she didn't realize that Sango, Miroku and Kaede were looking at her with similar expressions of amusement on their faces.

"What?" She asked, her voice muffled around the miso soup in her mouth.

Sango laughed as she exclaimed, "You looked so much like Inuyasha when you were eating just then it took us by surprise!"

Everyone but Inuyasha laughed as Kagome blushed a deep crimson while Inuyasha merely protested, "I don't look like _that_ when I'm eating!"

Sooner than Kagome expected the others were fast asleep and it felt lonely and quiet in the hut without anyone to talk to, unable to sleep through her haze of thoughts. It would have been nice to talk to Inuyasha but since he was pretending to be asleep she figured she wouldn't bother him. His uneven breathing and alert scent kept her attentive as well, noticing things about him that she hadn't noticed before with her dull human senses. The light from the simmering forest cast a glow on his pale and accented the muscles one couldn't see outside of his haori. Though to the human eye he appeared to be asleep the rigidity of his back and the slight tenseness of his hand around the Tetsusaiga's hilt gave him away to half demons like herself.

She almost snorted at the thought, _half demons like her_. What a laugh! But it wasn't a fantasy anymore, a mere what if scenario. Instead, she discovered, she really was a demon, and with it came a huge responsibility.

Sighing, she grew restless just sitting still and climbed to her feet, leaving the hut behind to sit in the meadow just before the well they hadn't visited since the last time they'd been home. Home. The last time she'd been home she'd been worried about a final, a normal high school human girl worry that she discovered, with a tinge of regret, would not be needed for another year. She fingered a stalk of grass beside her as she thought of how Inuyasha ha been so impatient with her "stupid, human pace," as he tried to rush her away as soon as she returned and sighed.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had been just a simple girl, carefree and without enemies, before she'd met Inuyasha. A life that seemed to have no meaning since he wasn't there beside her...

"And just what do you think you're doing out here by yourself?"

She wasn't surprised to hear his voice behind her but she _was_ surprised when he sat next to her within reaching range. "I couldn't sleep and I couldn't just sit inside doing nothing all night...this whole not sleeping thing is going to go away right? I mean, you sleep..." She mumbled the last bit and watched his face for his reaction.

Kagome was slightly more than irritated when he gave her a superior smirk before replying, "Only 2 days and you can't handle being a half demon already? I gotta tell you Kagome I'm kinda worried how you're gonna be after a year."

She opened her mouth to shoot an insult back at him when, without warning, she took a deep breath that turned quickly into a yawn so wide she could hear her jaw crack. She tried to stifle it but Inuyasha saw through her immediately and practically made her jump out of her skirt when he grasped her upper arms tightly and pulled her into his lap.

She tried to fight him but was surprised when her complaint turned into a growl and she clapped her hand to her mouth, cutting her cheek on her claws. It didn't hurt but it made her yelp loud enough that Inuyasha was concerned and he turned her face toward his to inspect the damage.

"W-what are you doing?" She stuttered and raised a hand to push him away.

He swatted her hand away and murmured, "Shut up and hold still..."

Before she could say another word he swept his tongue across her cheek and she froze in his arms. After a second pass over the offended area she shuddered visibly and sighed, allowing her hands to fall into her lap and relaxed into his tight embrace. It was slightly comforting and somewhere in the back of her mind something screamed that she should be freaking out while another part told her it was as normal as any band-aid.

Much too soon it seemed Inuyasha pulled away and murmured, "There, all better."

Kagome muttered a thanks as her eyes suddenly became droopy. Something about Inuyasha's comforting presence, the way he held her close, it made her feel a little less doubtful about her half-demon crisis. Unintentionally she took a deep breath and with it came a large whiff of Inuyasha's scent. Had she not been sitting she would have collapsed to her knees and begged him to just sit there until she couldn't get enough of him. It was an earthy scent, the smell of forest greenery just after the rain. Beneath this was the spicy scent of confidence with just a hint of uncertainty though she couldn't be sure if that was his natural scent or it was because she was so firmly nuzzled in his lap.

She took another deep breath before murmuring, "Inuyasha?"

He grunted rather than looking down at her and she giggled as she whispered, "You smell kinda nice...a lot of nice..."

He continued to look away but blushed as he told her gently, "Feh, get some sleep wench. We've got quite the journey ahead of us tomorrow..."

Even on the edge of sleep Kagome shuddered in excitement, thinking of the beginning of a new chapter for the two of them.

* * *

**A/N: What did you think? Too cheesy? Just enough cheese? Trust me the next chapter will be even better! **

**BTW, **_**please**_** leave a review. I bet my friend on MediaMiner I could get more reviews on my half demon story than her and she already has 15! Come on guys don't let her subject me to 'I told you so' for a week!!! No but really you don't have to review if you don't want too (but it would be greatly appreciated!) Till next time people!**


	3. Send Me on My Way

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**Disclaimer: Still no ownage of Inuyasha…Darn!**

**A/N: Hey! Well, its certainly been a while since I edited this puppy. Sorry about that…but I'm back now and it's the chappie we've all been waiting for! Yay! Well I left a pretty sizable Author's Note at the end so I'll shut up now and let you get reading.**

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**Chapter 2: Send Me On My Way**

* * *

Kagome awoke in the dim twilight of early morning fully disconcerted and confused as to where she was. The last thing she remembered was sitting in the meadow thinking when suddenly Inuyasha came and scared her half to death.

She involuntarily ran a finger over her cheek and was a bit surprised to feel a rapidly healing scratch there. That's when it all came flooding back to her: Inuyasha, licking her cheek before warming her up by pulling her into his lap...She froze as her finger ran from her face to fall into her lap, where they brushed against a rather ragged bit of cloth...

Without thinking Kagome looked around and found herself half swathed in red fire rat, donned on a rather comfortably sleeping half demon who didn't seem to notice she was awake. Trying not to scream at their close proximity while also remembering to breathe, Kagome took a deep breath to steady herself and tried to gather her thoughts.

_Okay, get it together Kagome, he obviously doesn't know he's still holding you...get a grip! Alright...if I can just get away..._

She cautiously applied pressure to Inuyasha's chest and felt the stretching of her tense muscles as she prepared to push away. Carefully checking to make sure he was still sleep she gave a mighty push away from him...and was shocked as he landed right on top of her. Her claws embedded in the front of his fire rat he grumbled as he was pulled over her where she lay on her back.

"Hey wench what the hell do you think you're doing?" He screamed in her face but she was blushing too furiously to even retort back properly.

When he finally looked down and realized the position they were in he flushed the color of his haori before he exclaimed, "Keh! What the hell did you think you were trying to do Kagome? While I'm sleep no less..."

He disentangled himself from her, still the color of an apple before he stood to his feet and glanced at the sky. Kagome straggled to her feet as well, fighting down her blush at the look she interpreted on Inuyasha's face. The sun was just breaking over the horizon bathing the landscape in red and gold, the sky a perfectly clear blue.

"What is it?" Kagome asked uncertainly as she felt Inuyasha's anxiety, even feet away from him.

For a moment he didn't answer but turned his nose to the wind breathing deeply before he murmured to her, "Do you smell that?"

Kagome turned her nose up and for a moment was confused. Suddenly though, a pungent fume as sweet and curious as Inuyasha's own scent washed over her and she nodded before she breathed, "Wow..."

She was quite taken aback when Inuyasha smirked at her and exclaimed, "Come on Kagome...it's time."

* * *

"No."

"Kagome..."

"No."

"Damn it Kagome we haven't got all day!"

"You're right which is why you should stop arguing with me and just let me run!"

"I said NO Kagome! Not with-you need to-NO!"

"But-!"

"I SAID NO!"

Kagome crossed her arms and pouted as she turned to glare directly at the stubborn hanyou in front of her. The intensity of her gaze burned a hole through Inuyasha's defenses but he'd be damned if he let her get her way this time. There was no way in hell he was letting her go through the air in that tiny bit of fabric she called a 'skirt' again...

When they had first decided to depart Inuyasha insisted on carrying her to Totosai's the entire way on his back which Kagome not only disapproved of but adamantly refused.

"What's the point of being a half demon if I'm not even allowed to run by myself?" He ignored this comment and was close to ignoring her completely when she yelled at him some more.

"Why won't you let me run? Inuyasha, it's not like I haven't done it before!" Kagome crossed her arms and demanded again. Losing his patience he ran a hand over his face in agitation and replied heatedly, "Because…because-because I said so damn it!"

Restraining stomping her foot with difficulty Kagome glared at him and huffed, "But why not?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWING YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PANTS ON!"

She was ultimately taken aback and went stock still for a moment before blushing beet red. They both shuffled uncomfortably, Inuyasha huffing in annoyance while Kagome merely stood thinking.

After a minute she murmured, "Well…"

Rather reluctantly Inuyasha looked over his shoulder and snapped, "Well what?"

Gaining more courage now that he was paying attention Kagome continued, "I have a pair of sweat pants in my bag and they're sort of like your hakama…would those be acceptable?"

He didn't speak for a long second but finally grunted and huffed, "Yeah, yeah but hurry up would you? We ain't got all day."

Beaming happily it didn't take long for Kagome to dig through her bag and locate the nondescript gray sweatpants and white tank top she normally reserved for days when she was working with Kaede out in the herbal gardens, unwilling to get her legs scratched up by thorns.

A few minutes she reemerged newly clothed, her long black hair tied back into a high ponytail while she went completely barefoot. She had to admit that the ground was a lot more comfortable with only half human feet worrying about rocks and sharp objects.

She smiled happily at Inuyasha who was leaning impatiently up against a tree and exclaimed, "Can I go running now?"

He glanced at her once before openly gaping at the new look she presented. He couldn't tell whether she was more attractive in the scrap of fabric she called a skirt or the ensemble that she currently sported. The pants left everything to the imagination while the small white tank top seemed to leave nothing at all. Her newly developed abs were clearly visible through the thin fabric as well as her other assets…

"Whatever. Let's get going…" He grumbled and without another word they both took to the sky.

* * *

It was an exhilarating feeling to be running again, the freedom of the wind in her face as it sent her new length of platinum hair streaming behind her. Kagome felt on top of the world and couldn't stop smiling as she jumped from tree top to tree top, carefully avoiding Inuyasha's maneuvers as he tried to step in front of her and throw her off balance.

Every time Kagome caught a glimpse of him he was smirking at her, grinning wildly as they stepped side by side, in sync with each other's movements as though they had practiced them beforehand. It was such an adrenaline rush and it gave Kagome a dizzying feeling of freedom as her newly bared feet allowed her to prance from one tree top to another, landing lightly enough that even after she had stepped off it looked completely undisturbed.

They ran for hours, the miles passing by in a whirlwind of colors and shapes that neither made sense nor needed to. It wasn't until around noon that Inuyasha touched down in a clearing and Kagome followed him landing as swiftly on the ground as though she belonged there.

Breathing slightly hard with excitement and invigoration Kagome grinned hugely and exclaimed, "What are we stopping for? Tired already?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Tired? You wish. I figured a pathetic half demon like you needed a minute to relax so we're having lunch. And your first lesson in hunting."

That perked Kagome's ears up quickly enough and her smile faded as quickly as it had gotten there.

"H-hunting? Like, real animals?" She stuttered and Inuyasha smirked teasingly as he replied, "No, we're hunting trees today…"

Kagome rolled her eyes but followed him deeper into the forest as she murmured, "Well that's a relief. And here I thought I would be doing some blood shedding today."

"Quit your grumbling and follow my lead."

The sentence was barely out of Inuyasha's mouth when he took off through the trees, Kagome following hot on his heels. "Use your nose Kagome! What do you smell nearby that we can eat?" He yelled back at her and she looked at his back quizzically before turning her nose to the wind and concentrating hard.

For a moment the only thing she could smell was the surrounding forest and plant-life. But then there was a different scent, one that sent her mind into a frenzy and nearly made her stumble.

"That way!" She yelled and Inuyasha dodged in the direction she was pointing, slowing down just enough so that she could catch up and run along side him.

It wasn't long before they hit a clearing and the source of Kagome's prey became evident. Chomping on grass the wild hog looked innocent enough and Kagome felt a pang of regret for what she was about to do. Inuyasha dodged behind a tree and motioned for her to do the same and get quiet. Doing as ordered and practically tingling with anticipation Kagome stood with her back against the rough tree bark and stared across the glade at Inuyasha who merely motioned for her to stay still. After a few seconds he lifted two fingers and twitched them forward, the age old 'Let's go' command.

Slinking in what she hoped was a silent manner from tree to tree Kagome found herself holding her breath as they came closer and closer to what she considered her first opponent. Inuyasha crouched in the rather tall grass around them and Kagome mimicked him while keeping her violet eyes trained on his figure. After a moment he held up one hand, five fingers spread. Another second and he placed it down so that only four remained, then three. It took Kagome a moment to realize he was counting down. But counting down to what she wasn't entirely sure…

Two fingers…one finger…go!

The order came as if inside her own head and without another word Kagome pounced from behind her perch and almost completely on top of the struggling hog. She did her best to hold it down and grit her teeth against his force but after a moment she cried out, "Inuyasha!" and it slipped from beneath her hold.

Groaning at the fact that they would have to find a new target and she was really hungry Kagome was entirely taken aback when the hog gave a squeal and Inuyasha touched down just behind it, flicking the blood off of his claws. Confusion gave way to amazement as Kagome had never actually seen Inuyasha hunt before and even if she had she never would have appreciated it the way she did now that she actually had to do it herself. He noticed her stare and grinned at her smugly.

"In case you were wondering, that's what you were supposed to look like," he explained as he hauled the kill over his shoulder and sauntered towards her.

Kagome made a face and pouted, "I could have done that! You just-You didn't even tell me what to do!"

Inuyasha, the jerk, merely shook his head. "A good hanyou doesn't have to be told what to do. She follows her instincts…"

For a moment Kagome looked completely outraged. Turning to glare at him furiously Inuyasha half expected a Sit command. So when she stuck out her tongue and stomped away he merely stared after her in shock before chuckling and eventually following as well…

* * *

"Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"What's the hardest thing about being a half demon?"

As the two sat eating their newly prepared lunch Inuyasha seemed to actually ponder this question more than he had the previous one-hundred and three questions Kagome had asked him so far. She waited patiently, taking another bite of a sesame cracker she had pulled from her bag as she waited for his answer.

"I guess the hardest thing for me was just accepting who I was. I mean, I knew I was half demon, but I always knew I was half human too. People told me all my life that my human side made me weak…" He finally admitted quietly and Kagome turned saddened eyes on him.

"Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha shook her expression off and continued, "It wasn't until I was older that I realized my human side didn't mean anything. If anything it only made me stronger because unlike most demons I had the power to protect more forcefully than any youkai ever could. That's why I keep on fighting and I never let my mixed heritage get in the way of a good fight. You shouldn't either…"

Kagome quirked an eyebrow as he turned his hypnotic gaze onto her and placed a hand over top of the one lying in her lap. "Kagome…there are going to be times that you want to give up, either because of what you are or the situation seems hopeless. Don't let it affect you. What you do determines what the entire group does, so never doubt yourself, even for a moment. That's the hardest thing about being a half demon," he finished with a light blush staining his cheeks when he turned away as Kagome stared at him blankly.

She had always known that his life was hard, that he had had to learn things much more quickly than normal children. He complained about caring for them as a whole but they had always known that he was just grumbling, that no matter what he would protect them. And though many of his methods had been brash and completely impulsive he had always pulled for them in the end hadn't he?

"Inuyasha?"

He turned at the sound of her voice to face her again and she smiled consolingly at him.

"What is it wench?"

Her smile only widened and she giggled. "Thank you…for everything. And-I'll never give up…not as long as you're there."

This time the light blush shot to the fore as he stood to his feet and Kagome knew the moment was lost, but she wasn't sad. If anything she was more determined than ever to accomplish any task set in front of her, to make him proud…

"Keh! You worry too much wench I ain't going nowhere. Now come on," Inuyasha held out his hand to help her up, "I want to get to Totosai's before it gets dark."

* * *

They only got part of Inuyasha's wish. True, the couple did make it before it got dark, but the fumes from the sulfurous area slowed them as Kagome's newly adjusted nose found the challenge more than a little daunting. Kagome refused to give up and continued making her way to Totosai's cave. By the time they were half way there she was leaning more than a little heavily on Inuyasha, who was so worried that in the end he merely picked her up and ran with her. She was still arguing with him feebly as they landed in front of the old man minutes later.

"…could have carried myself here you know if you'd just given me the chance…" She argued even as she collapsed against him.

"Oh yeah? Was that before or after you looked like you were going to pass out and die on me?" Inuyasha countered back at her while gently standing her up.

Kagome's argument died on her lips as a different voice croaked out from just in front of them. "Inuyasha is that you? I was wondering when you'd be back along to make me fix that old sword of yours. Oho but what's this? You've brought a little friend along with you…"

Totosai stepped out of the shadows of the cave, his faithful three eyed cow trailing along behind him, and Kagome, her nose already in a weakened state, could hardly stand the stench coming from the old man.

"Keh, this ain't a social call you old windbag. Kagome here needs a weapon and you're the only one around here dumb enough to do it for her," Inuyasha countered but Totosai didn't even appear to be listening to him anymore. Instead he had turned his rather large bulging eyes onto Kagome and was staring at her as though he had never seen anything like her before in his life.

He was in front of her in a second and Kagome gasped at his sudden close proximity. Eyes roving her frame rather uncomfortably on Kagome's part, he exclaimed in a rather loud voice, "Kagome? That miko that's always traveling with you?"

Kagome winced and murmured, "Hai Totosai-sama."

The sword maker grasped her chin and forced her mouth open so quickly it took Kagome a moment to realize what he had done, Inuyasha's angry yells of, "Get the hell off of her!" faded into the background.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Totosai shrieked and Kagome flattened her ears against the awful sound. Unfortunately the sword smith caught the motion and stared up on top of her head.

"Now I get it…you made her into a half demon didn't you?" His question was directed at Inuyasha even as he continued to walk around Kagome and examine her from seemingly every angle.

Inuyasha sputtered and pulled her back behind him protectively as he yelled, "It wasn't my brilliant idea it was some bastard's we met in the woods claiming that she'd be all powerful as a half demon-!"

"Hmm…a bastard in the woods you say?" Totosai murmured and looked up at Inuyasha full in the face for the first time since they had arrived.

Unaware of the thoughtful look on Totosai's face Inuyasha grumbled, "Hell yeah, some little bastard with fucking purple hair and silver eyes thinking he can come and tell us what the hell-!"

"Tell me Inuyasha," Totosai interrupted as he turned away from him, took a seat on the hard stone ground and promptly starting blowing fire on a nearby piece of unfinished metal, "Did this 'little bastard's name happen to be Kyo of the Forest?"

Stunned silence followed his seemingly innocent question as both Inuyasha and Kagome glanced at each other before staring blankly at him. Inuyasha opened his mouth, undoubtedly to growl something thoroughly unpleasant at the demon on the floor, but Kagome beat him to it as she asked quietly, "Do you know him Totosai-sama?"

Scratching his head and staying silent for a few minutes he finally turned to look at her and replied, "As a matter of fact I do. He came in not too long ago, asked me to forge him a new sword. Didn't know what he wanted to do with it as he already had a perfectly good sword with him…

"Anyway, I forged him a new sword. When I asked him what he wanted to do with it all he said was I'd done good work and he would be sending me someone else who needed a weapon soon. Now that you're here I'm guessing he meant you…"

Feeling completely flabbergasted Kagome fell silent and was more than happy to draw in the comfort Inuyasha offered her as he stepped up behind her. Placing a soothing hand on her shoulder he stared down at Totosai who was once again facing away from them and exclaimed, "So you gonna do it old man or do I gotta find somebody else that'll do it better?"

Totosai released another great spurt of fire from his mouth before he snorted but didn't reply. After long seconds filled to the brim with silence Inuyasha growled low under his breath and murmured, "Fine then! Let's get the hell out of here Kagome these fumes are making me sick to my stomach…"

"You always were the shortest on patience between you and your brother."

Inuyasha turned to look back at Totosai who didn't look as though he had moved a muscle but had definitely stopped breathing fire. Kagome beamed brilliantly and exclaimed, "Does that mean you'll make a weapon for me then?"

Another silent second. "Come back in a week missy and I'll have your weapon."

Squealing with joy Kagome bowed low and exclaimed, "Thank you so much Totosai-sama!"

Inuyasha, however, was completely unhappy with the circumstances. "A week? What the hell do you have to do plant the metal and grow it?" He yelled.

"Inuyasha, Sit!" Kagome hissed and tried to pretend that the sound of him hitting the floor wasn't as satisfying as it really was.

"You're lucky it's only a week," Totosai finally picked himself up off the floor and made his way into the back of the cave, "And I guarantee you won't be complaining when it's all said and done. Trust me: this one will rival even the great Tetsusaiga in greatness…"

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**A/N: First of all, I want to thank every single one of you who has reviewed, favorited and put this story on alert for the next chapter. As always, you all are my reason for writing. Oh, and thank you to my (as always) awesome beta, Wildmage89! Still luv ya girl!**

**Second of all, in the last chapter I asked you all to help me beat my friend in reviews for her "Kagome becomes a Half-demon" fic. I am totally beating her by like 3 reviews right now. And it's all thanks to you guys :)! Thanks so much!**

**Anyway, next chappie shouldn't be so long to get out. What with the end of school and what-not I was absolutely swamped. But summer break as arrived and so have the updates! As always, see you next time! R&R please!!**

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	4. Instincts

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own...

**A/N:** Hey all, I'm back with a brand new chapter just for all of you faithful readers! This is actually one of my faster updates and it's partly all in thanks to my amazing beta. I luv you **Wildmage!** WOOH! Oh, and I would also like to thank **juusan'ya** for catching a slight verb confusion error with Kagome's new attack. Thanx again girl!

Alright guys, as usual the A/N at the end will tell you what I want you to know so I'll shut and let you guys get reading :)

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"Dodge, jump, skirt, sweep and-!"

"OUCH!"

"Keh! You knew I was coming in from the right so you should have dodged it! Come on, get up…"

Kagome grimaced as she stood back to her feet after being knocked to the ground for the umpteenth time in a row and tried to stave back the growl bubbling up in her throat. This was all Inuyasha's fault. Following Totosai's deadline of a week, Inuyasha's irritation had spiked to a level past his endurance. It was then that Kagome suggested he start training her for at least hand to hand combat to take some of the edge off his temper.

As Kagome later discovered, this was a bad idea.

For the past two days she had been thrown, swept, and knocked flat on her back and after all of that, still forced to hunt! Kagome doubted that she was the unluckiest half demon in the world but she was certainly making her way higher and higher up on the list. That is, if she wasn't killed in training first…

"You think you could be a little more tender with me, oh mighty Inuyasha? I'm a girl in case you forgot when you were throwing me around like a rag doll?" She complained, rubbing a particularly sore spot on her neck.

Inuyasha sighed across from her and exclaimed, "You need to be ready for anything Kagome. You think your opponent's gonna give a damn that you're a girl?"

To this Kagome only crossed her arms, silently conceding his point while managing to look completely reluctant about it. Just because he was right didn't mean he had to know that she knew it.

Inuyasha, however, looked as though she had spoken her agreement aloud as he took his attack stance once more and murmured loud enough for her sensitive ears to hear, "You're fighting with your mind. Relax and go with your instincts. Your heart knows better than your head any day…"

Kagome nearly refused the advice, but upon seeing his serious face she sighed and whispered, "Go with my instincts, huh? Easier said than done…"

"It wouldn't be if you just listened to me. Now close your eyes."

This time she stood completely upright. "What?"

Inuyasha's next sigh was full of exasperation. "Look, do you want to know how to fight or don't you?"

They both stood still for a long second, glowering at each other before Kagome grudgingly acquiesced and closed her amethyst colored eyes. Inuyasha smirked at her considering she couldn't see before he got serious again and stalked slowly towards her.

"Just breathe…relax and listen…" He murmured, slowly circling her with about 5 feet between them in any given direction. "Watch with your ears…Listen with your ears…"

He felt her give a deep breath and let it out before her ears twitched in his direction, following his every movement. Smirking slightly at her progress he stepped a little closer to her and murmured, "You have to be ready for a strike that seems non-existent. Listen for it and you'll be ahead of any enemy…Now, what do you see?"

For a long second she didn't speak but finally whispered, "An annoying half demon with silver hair and hanyou ears circling me like some freak of nature scoping their prey."

He smirked again and murmured back, "I didn't ask you to give me a detailed reflection of yourself. What do you see?"

Scowling she frowned and suddenly whispered, "You're about to attack me…"

"How do you know?"

"I felt your body tense…your heartbeat just increased and your scent just spiked with your adrenaline…"

"Can you block it?"

This time the answer was longer in coming as Kagome frowned and turned her head towards the direction of his voice. "I-I think so…"

"Never think Kagome you have to know. Now, can you block it?"

"I-yes. Yes I can."

He didn't say anything else and Kagome shifted in high anticipation for his next move. It was hard to tell what was more exciting: the fact that she knew she could take him down, or the fact that every tiny detail about him was as visible as if her eyes were open. Without her eyes guiding her, her nose and ears picked up the slack, so much so that she was finding it hard to focus on anything else.

She could feel Inuyasha's body temperature as he circled her, could smell the way his blood raced whenever he thought of attacking only to back down, could hear every crunch of grass beneath the soles of his feet, felt the wind blow around him so that his scent was pushed her way.

And then it happened.

His scent spiked at the exact same time that she felt his entire body heat up and suddenly leave the ground. Without moving she traced him with her ears, noting by the way his hair swished that he was coming at her from the left. The sound of his heartbeat was coming closer…

_Hold still, a little longer…_she thought to herself.

She could nearly feel his smirk light up his face as he reached out to tackle her…

And her eyes shot open.

Though she knew how close he was it still startled her to see that he was only inches away from her face and she reacted purely on instinct. She sidestepped him neatly to the right side and watched as his foot pivoted so he would face her once more. She took advantage of his momentary lack of balance and dropped to sweep him, satisfied when his feet left the ground. A second later she jumped to her feet and punched him square in the chest, sprawling him on the ground where she straddled his abdomen.

Her fist still in the middle of his breast she poised her claws just above his throat and froze in that position, staring down at a flabbergasted and thoroughly surprised Inuyasha. He stared up at her as though he had never seen her before and the smile she threw him was absolutely feral.

"How's that for instincts?" She growled and stood to her feet, extending her hand to help him up off the ground.

He stared at it for a minute before he grinned and accepted it, pulling himself to his feet alongside her. "It wasn't bad…you know, for a girl," he exclaimed and Kagome crossed her arms and smirked.

"Yeah, the same girl that just kicked your ass," she replied as she threw herself down at the base of a tree and stared up through the canopy.

Inuyasha plopped down in his natural position at the base of another tree across from her and Keh'd. "Lucky shot. If it had been a real battle I would have owned you and you know it."

Kagome rolled her eyes and downed half a water bottle from her backpack. She opened her mouth to tell him luck had nothing to do with it when she spotted the gaping hole in her shirt.

"Oh no!" She exclaimed and Inuyasha cracked open a closed eye to stare at her.

"What is it?"

"My shirt! Damn it this is the 3rd one in 2 days," She groaned and stuck her entire hand through the torn fabric, torn between the desire to laugh and scream at the same time. She fished around in her backpack for another shirt, ignoring the way Inuyasha was staring at her and finally pulled her last black camisole from the bottom.

"This is my last one…Inuyasha, how long until we can go see Haruka?" She hadn't meant for her voice to sound so whiny but things were just not going according to plan.

For a minute Inuyasha was silent as he contemplated his answer before he sighed and stood to his feet. "If we leave now we could probably be there and back in 4 days," he exclaimed and Kagome gaped at him in surprise.

"Leave now? You mean it?" She asked, dimly optimistic when Inuyasha shrugged his shoulders and turned away from her.

"Keh, why not? The old dingbat won't be done with your sword for another 5 days. If we leave now we can be back in time to pick it up and head back to the village for training. Besides, no more shirts means that I'm the one that'll have to go back to your time to get more and we ain't got that kind of time," he finished half-heartedly asnd Kagome beamed at him.

"Thank you so much Inuyasha!" She yelled and practically threw herself on him, hugging him as tightly as she could around his waist. He hugged her back for a brief moment before he pulled away and murmured, "Whatever. Let's just get going."

Kagome, still smiling, nodded once and said, "'Kay!" before going to pack everything back into her backpack. So interested in packing up she missed the gentle smile Inuyasha bestowed on her when he was sure she wasn't looking…

* * *

Soaring high above the treetops Kagome gave a sigh of contentment while trying her best to warn Inuyasha sprinting a little ways ahead of her that it was getting late. The night unfurled around them, the nocturnal creatures of the forest slowly stretching and pulling themselves out of the protective cocoons of the day. Kagome glanced at Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye and decided that now was as good a time as any to propose they stop for the night.

She opened her mouth to tell him as much when a sharp ping out of her peripheral gave her pause. It had felt so much like the presence of the jewel but it had never been that strong before…

"Uh, Inuyasha?" she began unsteadily, glancing around her warily while trying to alert the hanyou to a strange presence.

Inuyasha picked up on her distress in a moment and turned in the air to stare at her. "What is it?"

She furrowed her brow in concentration and was just about to tell it must have been nothing when something not unlike an electric shock ripped through her. With a soft gasp of pain Kagome doubled over and felt herself dropping through the sky, only vaguely aware of the fact. Her senses felt overwhelmed, on fire while she twisted against the pain in her body.

A long second later she felt herself burrowing into Inuyasha's comforting fire rat while he called her name, quite loudly, in her ear. "Kagome what the hell? What is it? Kagome? KAGOME!"

She could barely find the strength to shake her head at him before the pain in her head sharpened and she doubled over. Then, behind her closed eyes, a purple glow appeared in her mind's eye, along with what could only be described as a path that led to it. For a moment she was confused but the glow was unmistakably a jewel shard and it was moving…fast.

"Kagome talk to me damn it what's happening?"

Inuyasha's yell brought Kagome back to reality and she opened her eyes only to realize that the pain had stopped, though there was a slight pulse in her head that didn't hurt but signified the jewel shard was still nearby. She stared up into Inuyasha's intensely worried golden eyes and exclaimed, "There's a jewel shard and it's moving. Fast."

Looking fully taken aback with the whole situation Inuyasha stared at her for another second before he looked up and around the surrounding forest. "Which way?" He questioned as Kagome pulled herself to her feet and she closed her eyes once more.

The glowing was fainter than before but it had at least stopped. Her eyes snapped open again and she took off in a northerly direction. "This way Inuyasha!" She shouted over her shoulder and he was rushing along at her side within moments.

As they ran Kagome's mind was completely elsewhere. What had happened? She'd been in so much pain, like a zap from invisible lightning, then she was on the ground with a built in GPS for jewel shards? Something wasn't right. She could sense them just as she had before, with a ping in her senses, but it was so much stronger now.

"Kagome, what the hell happened back there?" Inuyasha questioned as he ran alongside her and she shook her head.

"I couldn't tell you if I wanted to. I was fine and then I just…it felt like I'd been electrocuted," she explained without looking at him, "Then I was falling but my head felt like it was going to split in two and then…I could see the jewel shard."

She finally turned her head to meet Inuyasha's incredulous gaze. "You could _see _the shard?"

Kagome shook her head again and murmured, "Yeah. I know it sounds crazy but it…it was like a map in my head that led my straight to it."

Inuyasha looked away to stare straight ahead and looked thoughtful for a moment. Minutes passed by in silence until he suddenly exclaimed, "There he is…"

Kagome swallowed her comment and looked up into his serious. They said nothing but nodded once to each other before touching down in a rather small clearing where a lizard demon stood poised and ready.

As soon as they were on the ground Kagome immediately took notice of 3 things: One, the demon had already ingested the jewel shard. Two, it was hurt but healing rapidly on the side of his face. And three, he carried the scent of human blood on his skin. Lots of it.

"Hey Ugly!" Inuyasha yelled by way of greeting and the lizard turned to stare at the new intruders. "How about you hand that jewel shard you got over and we'll leave real quiet like?"

As per usual the demon merely laughed and took a completely defensive stance before bellowing, "Pathetic half demon! You assume you have the strength to defeat me? You and thata strange looking priestess?. If you take your bitch now hanyou I'll let you two have a head start before I kill you."

Despite the seriousness of the situation Kagome's left eyebrow shot up as she murmured, "His bitch?"

Inuyasha grimaced slightly but smirked at the demon in front of them. "Oh Kami you've done it now…"

"Who are you calling a bitch?"

Kagome growled and took a step forward towards the now nervous looking lizard. He backed up until he was against a tree and looked down at her from down his noses, slowly flicking out his tongue out to catch her scent.

Kagome caught the movement and glared at him. "I asked you a question. Who, are you, calling a bitch?"

At this the demon seemed to gain some bravado as he growled, "I am not afraid of the likes of a pathetic miko! There's no way you can take me with awhen I have a jewel frag-!"

His monologue was cut off when Kagome lashed out with one hand, pinning the demon to the tree by his neck, successfully cutting off his windpipe. He scrabbled at her hand which had begun to purify him but she merely glared at him and noted with some pride that she could hardly feel his struggle.

"Let me get one thing straight before I decide whether or not to let you live," she murmured dangerously under her breath and the demon stilled beneath her fingers. "I am not just anyone's bitch. My name is Kagome, and if you have a problem with my name you may refer to me as 'The Bitch', because I'm probably the biggest one you'll ever meet. Understand?"

The lizard nodded beneath her glare and she grinned perilously as she tightened the grip around his throat.

"Good. Now, here's what you're gonna do: Give me that little jewel fragment you've got imbedded in your side and I'll give _you_ a head start before I hunt you down and kill _you_. Got that?"

She was pleased when the lizard nodded once in compliance and she released him to where he was just a falling mass on the forest floor. She stepped back several steps, not wanting to risk getting demon guts on her when he removed the shard from his body. She turned to look at Inuyasha who looked stunned, amused and slightly frightened all at the same time and smiled gently at him.

"You've just got to know how to ask," she offered and her grin widened.

Inuyasha snorted and opened his mouth to say something when he looked at something over her shoulder and instead shouted her name. "Kagome watch it!"

But Kagome was already moving before the rest of the sentence was out of her mouth. The lizard demon growled behind her as she dodged his surprise attack and Kagome landed neatly just behind him. Inuyasha bared his teeth and began pulling Tetsusaiga out of it's sheath when the demon suddenly lunged at Kagome again. The rest happened in a flash.

The demon, hands outstretched, charged towards Kagome as he yelled, "Die bitch!"

Kagome grit her teeth and lunged at him too screaming, "I told you _not to call me that_!"

They were within reaching distance of each other when she flexed her right hand, raised it above her head and cried, "_Kakuzentaru_!"

She brought her claws flashing through the air onto the unsuspecting demon and he froze as her attack hit him full force. 5 brilliant white claw marks ran the length of his body and he screeched in pain before being completely blasted apart, growling, "You wench of a half demon…!"

Both Kagome and Inuyasha watched as his body disintegrated and the jewel fragment floated gently down to land on top of his ashes. Meanwhile Kagome was staring down at her right hand as though she'd sprouted an extra finger, popping each knuckle carefully to make sure everything was still attached.

Inuyasha, still stunned, re-sheathed Tetsusaiga and walked to her side, staring at her hand as well. After a few moments he exclaimed, "_What_ the _hell_ was _that_?"

Kagome started, as though just realizing he was there, before she murmured, "I…I don't know I just…acted on instinct I guess…"

Realizing that clearly this was not the best time to be discussing this Inuyasha snorted and attempted to lighten her mood. "You have your first battle, attack and kill the bastard, and you name it 'Kakuzentaru'?"

Now Kagome turned to stare at him as she protested, "It was the first name that came to mind, okay?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms and snorted again. " 'Clear Cut' huh? Oh, how original are you? Forgive me if I don't let you name any of my new attacks anytime soon…"

Kagome shot up from where she knelt to gather the jewel shard and glowered at him, "Oh and who says you'll have any new attacks anytime soon? At least I killed the guy!"

"Yeah, but with a lame attack!"

"I'd like to see you do better!"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to tell her exactly how he could do better when a loud clap of thunder made both of them jump and look up through the canopy of trees. Sure enough, large storm clouds had begun to move in and Kagome shivered a bit at the change in temperature.

"That doesn't look good…" she commented, still staring up at the sky.

Inuyasha nodded in agreement. "Looks like we're not going anywhere else tonight. Come on, we need to find some shelter before it hits…"

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Luckily they were able to find a cave just as the rain started. _It not just raining_, Kagome corrected her thoughts, _it's pouring outside._

She shivered once more as she huddled closer to the fire in the center of the cave and prodded at the ramen that had just begun to boil just minutes before. She glanced down at her claws and sighed heavily, trying not to think about the fact that she had killed a demon today…

"What's eating you?"

Inuyasha plopped down beside her and stared at her questioningly. She filled a bowl to the brim with his favorite food and served herself before murmuring quietly, "Nothing, just tired I guess…"

He cocked an eyebrow at her but didn't call her on her obvious fib. They ate in silence, enjoying each other's company while trying to block out the sounds outside of their cozy shelter. As soon as they were finished Kagome set to cleaning and, washing their bowls and utensils in the rain before packing it all away again into her monstrous backpack.

She had just begun rolling out her sleeping bag when Inuyasha continued his interrogation. "So, you gonna tell me what's really wrong with you?"

Kagome looked up to tell him it was nothing when his golden gaze stilled her. She sighed and looked down at her hands once more before whispering, "You're gonna think I'm crazy but I…I just feel weird having to kill that demon today."

She looked back up into his gaze and shook her head. "I know, it's stupid-,"

"It's not stupid."

She looked up when he unexpectedly spoke but instead of looking at her he was staring out the mouth of the cave into the rain. "I-it's not?"

"Of course not. Everybody has their problems killing someone with their own claws," he explained in a patient voice he rarely used, "It's a way of life. I used to hate killing anything and I hated that I hated it. But you'll realize soon that protecting yourself and the ones you care about is a good enough reason to kill or be killed."

He finally looked up into Kagome's shining eyes and she gave a watery smile. "Wow, I never thought of it that way," she whispered and Inuyasha blushed.

"Keh. It's nothing wench. You better get to sleep, we gotta be out of here early tomorrow if we want to make it to Haruka's by sundown."

Kagome nodded, understanding that his sentimental moment of the day had been used up and obediently lay down on her sleeping bag. The din of the storm was too loud for her to sleep but she stared at Inuyasha, his posture rigid as he kept watch for the night and smiled.

"Inuyasha?"

"What?"

"…Thank you."

Inuyasha turned to give her a smart comment but froze when he caught sight of her face. The last embers of the fire were slowly starting to fade but the small glow accompanied with his good vision bathed her in a rich light. Her silvery, rain darkened hair gathered around her face while her smile seemed to light the cavern all on it's own.

For a moment he couldn't speak. Then, he turned back around and whispered, "You're welcome."

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**A/N:** So, what did you guys think? I know, I know, I'm leaving you guys in the dark about Kagome's new weapon, but I swear I'm not doing it on purpose! Or am I...? lol Anyway, our duo is headed out to the infamous Haruka and let me just warn you guys that she is definetely one of my favorite original characters to write. She's crazy!

Can't wait to give you guys the next chapter so, as usual, Review please. You have no idea how much reviews inspire me to continue writing. Even if you don't review, seeing all the Favorites' lists this story is on makes me oh so happy :)!

Until next time folks!!


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